Mass Effect Aftermath
by Ridgecliff
Summary: The Reaper war is over, the galaxy still stands. This is a story about what happens after the war is over. Miranda/Shepard(M) romance. This story sprang to life after one of my playthroughs where I had over 10000 EMS and I figured it should have a bit better ending and bit more changes with high EMS. More details about the story can be found in the Foreword. I'm bad at summaries.
1. Foreword

**Foreword**

_This will be my take on the ending of Mass Effect trilogy based on my own personal playthrough. In this iteration of ME events Commander Shepard is male paragon adept named Nathaniel, with a spacer and war hero background._

_To make the story a bit more dynamic I won't stick to just the powers available to adepts in single player but I'm going to incorporate some powers available in multiplayer only. _

_This story will incorporate all the SP dlc's including the recently released Citadel. _

_While the story itself, as the name suggests, will mostly revolve around the aftermath of the Reaper War and most of the events and my personal choices from the game will be referenced by characters in the story I'll list all the major choices I made that might affect the game and give you the basic idea of how the story of this particular Commander Shepard progressed._

_In the first game Shepard romanced Ashley, saved the council and nominated Anderson as councilor. Wrex survived events on Virmire and Kaidan was the one left behind. Kirrahe survived._

_In ME2 Shepard romanced Miranda, feeling betrayed by Ashley realizing she never really understood him. All the crew members were loyal and with maximum upgrades to the ship everyone survived the suicide mission and the Collector base was destroyed. Zaeed and Kasumi were both part of the crew and Arrival and Overlord dlc's were played._

_For ME3 itself and it's many choices, here I'll list only the major ones as there are so so much in this wonderful game._

_Genophage was cured and poor Mordin sacrificed himself to make it so, Eve survived. Thane stopped Kai Leng from killing the salarian councilor. Ashley survived and realized Udina was a traitor and shot him._

_Shepard remained faithful to Miranda reaffirming their love._

_With Shepards urging Geth and Quarians made peace agreeing to coexist and work together on Rannoch with Legion giving up his life to give individuality to all the geth._

_Having been forewarned by Shepard, Miranda survived her encounter with Kai Leng on Horizon and after killing her father she and Oriana left finally free of his influence._

_Shepard encouraged James to join N7 and his relationship with Ashley as well a relationship between Tali and Garrus and one between Donnelly and Gabby as well as the relationship between Joker and EDI._

_There were so many other choices that I'm not even sure I'd be able to remember them all so I won't even try._

_The final and major choice of how to deal with the Reapers, Shepard chose destroy and with high military readiness the collateral damage to the galaxy was minimal. Citadel and relays themselves suffered only minor damage and were quickly repaired._

_In this particular playthrough my EMS was over 10000 thanks to the multiplayer and all the dlc's. With that high EMS I figured there should be some additional changes to the aftermath of the war and that's how this story sprang to my mind._

_So to stop boring you with re-listing of my gameplay and the setting I envisioned let's go onward to the story itself. _

_Hope you'll like it. _

_Sincerely,_

_Ridgecliff._


	2. Chapter 1 : Next Day

**CHAPTER I**

**NEXT DAY**

.

It's done. It's actually over. The Reapers were destroyed. Liara couldn't really wrap her mind around it. Lying down on her bed in her office on the Normandy, she couldn't really get herself to actually believe that it was over, that the impending apocalypse, the threat of destruction of everything and everyone she has ever known is no more. This war consumed her life for quite some time now. What will she do now? She could actually go write that book about Protheans she wanted to, and Javik might even help her.

Liara didn't know how to feel about the fact that it was her discovery of the Crucible design on Mars that actually enabled this victory. Crucible, it was their last hope, their "Hail Mary" as humans say. When it was activated it released an incredible blast of energy that spread through the entire galaxy using Mass Relays and annihilated the Reapers.

And Shepard was the one to do it.

Thinking of Shepard snapped her out of her daydreaming and she felt guilty. Here she was feeling giddy and excited about writing a book when Shepard was no more. She felt tears well up in her eyes and she struggled to control herself and stop them from falling.

Liara sat up on her bed and took a deep breath. Several hours earlier Normandy crashlanded on this unknown planet while barely avoiding getting caught in the first shockwave of the Crucibles blast. Their first order of business was reestablishing long range communications.

As soon as they did they made contact with Hackett who informed them that despite being used as conduits for the massive energy blast, Mass Relays were only slightly damaged and repairs were started immediately. Citadel suffered a bit more damage, but it was mostly superficial and even now there were teams searching through the wreckage for survivors. Luckily Huerta Memorial hospital was almost intact and is even now serving as trauma center, and its medical staff is helping the survivors.

Hackett also informed them that one of the search and rescue teams found Admiral Andersons body, with the Illusive Man's body not far from it. According to Hackett it seemed like the Illusive Man shot himself in the head but not before fatally wounding Anderson in the stomach which caused him to bleed out. Liara only wished Illusive Man shot himself earlier and spared them a lot of trouble.

Unfortunately there was no sign of Shepards body. Hackett was certain it was Shepard that activated the Crucible. They don't really know where he actually was when he activated it and most of that area of the Citadel is rubble. It's also close to one of the tunnels where the Reapers dropped remains of all the humans they killed in preparation of building a Human Reaper, so Hackett wasn't certain they'll be able to find Shepards remains at all.

Thinking of that made Liara cry again and this time she didn't held back her tears.

Liara forced herself to think of something else. Hackett also told them that despite repairs being underway on the Citadel and the Mass Relays it might take significant amount of time to get them all, and the one connecting the system they were in was far down the priority list so to get back, Normandy will have to fly only using the FTL.

Liara actually looked forward to the longer flight. It will give the crew time and space to think, to reflect, to grieve. It will give Liara time to figure out what to do about EDI. As soon as they crashlanded Joker called for her, his voice tinged with worry. When she got to the cockpit she found Joker leaning over EDI who was still in her copilot chair completely immobile. She didn't respond from her physical body or from anywhere on the Normandy itself.

At first Liara figured that the Crucible's blast affected EDI as well since she had some Reaper code and the blast seemed to target that code in its destruction, but after their briefing with Hackett was concluded Tali got in contact with other Quarian admirals who informed them that Geth were similarly affected, but after scanning them and comparing them to Reaper remains, they noticed a slight difference. They were stumped as well, but the admirals all agreed to leave the Geth intact in case there was a chance to restore them.

Liara couldn't help but smile at that. Another of Shepards miracles. Ending a war over 300 years in progress and actually integrating the two societies back together, and he did it with a speech. Tali agreed to help Liara figure out what was different with EDi and the Geth and if there was a chance to help them.

Of course getting Tali disentagled from Garrus might prove a challenge in itself. Liara couldn't help but feel glad they found each other and seemed happy.

Glyphs mechanical voice broke her out of her reverie. "Dr. T'Soni. Mr. Moreau would like to inform you that it is time." "Thank you Glyph." Liara said, took one more deep breath and stood up. It was time.

* * *

Garrus stood on Normandys third level with his back to the wall next to the elevator. His eyes were glued to the memorial wall in front of him. Wall filled with names. Everyone that served on Normandy and has fallen during that service. Kaidan Alenko, Mordin Solus, Thane Krios, Legion, and all the victims of the Collector attack on the original Normandy. Now Admiral Andersons name is being added to that list.

Garrus watched as Joker reverently placed the plaque with Andersons name in the center of the wall. As Normandys first commanding officer he deserved a place of honor. He was a good man, and a good friend to Garrus and to all of Normandys crew.

Everyone was gathered, everyone was silent. They won the war. Why didn't Garrus feel like celebrating. He knew why, he thought, it was because even with everyone gathered here around him, there is an absence, a huge absence. His commander, his friend, wasn't here. Shepard wasn't here.

"I miss him too, Vakarian." Voice to his left said. Garrus looked down slightly and even with her visor on he could see Tali's eyes. Full of compassion and sadness. How well she knew him, he thought. Garrus was happy that he found her, that they found each other, and he slowly realized that the absence wasn't that huge anymore and that he did have a reason to celebrate. He reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly as Liara took a step toward the wall holding another plaque with a name on it.

* * *

Liara stood in front of the memorial wall, looking at the plaque in her hands, plaque that said Commander N. Shepard. She sighed, fighting back tears, she could feel the eyes of the crew on her. When she started to reach out, to place the plaque on the wall, she found she couldn't do it.

"I can't." She said quietly. Then realising what her insticts were telling her, Liara spoke more loudly. "It's not right." She turned to face them all. "We can't place his name. Look at all he's done. This war, this entire war, was won because of him. Because of that one, stubborn, incredible man. He came back from death once, I won't believe he's dead until I see it for myself." At that point, her tears were falling freely and looking up she saw a new light shining in the eyes of everyone in the crew. They all agreed with her, she thought, they all, like her, believed in Shepard.

Even if the chances were miniscule, she won't give up, they won't give up. That blasted man defied the odds left and right. He persevered against miniscule chances more than once. Liara will not accept he is dead.

Something changed inside her, a smile appeared on her face, and the sadness she felt whenever she thought of Shepard changed, now she felt something else, she felt hope. Liara embraced it and held onto it tightly, even if it turns out to be false.

* * *

Miranda couldn't believe only yesterday she was fighting for her survival. Fighting a loosing battle. When it all changed suddenly. A blast of red light enveloped the streets of London and Reaper forces began dropping like flies.

Later in the briefing she was accepted by the Alliance brass, they treated her with respect, with reverence and not with disguised contempt and suspicion because she used to be Cerberus. Miranda knew Shepard was the reason for that. He changed her life drastically, and for the better.

She couldn't imagine this when she stood over him on that operating table bringing him back to life. She couldn't imagine ever feeling this way about someone. She couldn't imagine falling in love.

Love. Miranda regretted never actually voicing those words to Shepard. She always held back a bit, feeling scared and insecure, even when they were lying in bed together after that last big party he threw for everyone in his Citadel apartment. Last time they were together. He called her before his last charge and she tried to distance herself again but he promised he'd find her and Miranda realized that she couldn't really distance herself from him even if she wanted to.

Now she was standing on the balcony of her apartment in Perth looking up at the night sky, barely seeing the outline of the Citadel in Earth's orbit. Even after its fully repaired Miranda realized this is where the Citadel will now be located. With Citadel here it ment Earth was center of the Universe now.

Miranda herd steps behind her, she glanced back to see her sister Oriana approaching her. After rescuing her from their father, Miranda realized that nowhere was really safe if the Reapers weren't defeated so she brought Oriana to Earth with her. She refused to let her little sister fight though. She stashed her in this apartment. And she joined her here now that the war was over.

"What are you doing up Miri?" Oriana asked her. Miranda realized that all she really was doing was avoiding to think about Shepards fate. With a sad smile she faced her sister. She didn't have to say anything. Oriana just hugged her and it seemed that it was all it took for Miranda to fall apart. Now that the war was over, now that her sister was safe, now she realized there was nothing keeping her feelings from pouring out.

Miranda started crying uncontrollably and still being enveloped in her sisters arms she slid to the floor of the balcony her back to the railing.

"He's gone Ori." Miranda managed to say through her tears. "He's gone and I never told him I love him." Miranda herd her sister whisper softly "He knew you loved him Miri, Shepard knew."

Still crying Miranda felt herself drift into sleep, she welcomed it, hoping she'd dream about him, that he'd still be alive, that she'd have a chance to tell him how she feels.

* * *

Ray of sunshine woke her up. Miranda opened her eyes and realized she was still on the balcony. Ori covered her with a blanket and placed a pillow under her head. She looked up and saw her sister next to her sleeping in a chair.

Miranda got up slowly, trying not to wake Oriana. She placed a hand over her stomach feeling sick. She fought down nausea and made her way to the kitchen. While she waited for water to boil so she could make tea Miranda went to check her e-mail. She realized she didn't have time to check her messages since before the final battle against Reapers.

Her inbox was full, she perused her messages one by one when one caught her eye. It was an e-mail from Mordin Solus. Miranda realized Mordin must have sent this before his death and she quickly opened it to see what her favorite salarian wrote.

During the Collector mission she grew quite fond of Mordin and she liked spending time with him when she could. She even came to him for some medical advice. Miranda found herself tearing up at the thought she'll never hear him sing again.

What's wrong with her, she thought. It was like her emotions were making up for lost time after she spent most of her life hiding them behind her exterior.

Mordins e-mail turned out to be a video message, intrigued she played it.

* * *

"Gah, these poor bastards." Clara said to her two partners as they made their way through several remains of dead people in the rubble of one of the more damaged of Citadels wards.

Claras search and rescue team was assigned this quadrant but so far only thing they found were disturbing remains of people in the tunnels killed by Reaper forces, or crushed remains of people killed by falling debris caused by the blast that ended the war.

Clara found herself wishing more of the people she found were killed by the debris rather than the Reapers. Shaking her head against that disturbing and morbid thought she continued her trek forward.

Something moved in the periphery of her right eye. Clara turned that way and for a moment she thought she imagined it when she saw it again. An arm moving under the debris.

"Here quick!" She yelled "I've got a live one." Her partners ran up to her as she started removing rubble from a badly injured man. He was barely breathing and he didn't seem fully conscious. Only thing that was moving was his arm. He was badly burned and she realized that his armor was melted onto his body. Clara gently reached out and tried to take his dogtags to see if she could ID him but what remained of his dogtags was stuck to the armor and completely unintelligible. She barely recognized the N7 insignia on his chest, she figured he is one of the soldiers who made a run for the Citadel for the final blast.

Some other teams found other dead soldiers on the Citadel, some were even alive although badly injured. Clara knew that if this soldier had a chance of surviving they had to get him to the hospital immediately. One of her partners quickly applied a medi-gel to give him even a small fighting chance.

Clara reached for her omni tool to contact the Huerta hospital, "This is S&R team Echo. We've got a John Doe, badly injured, severe burns. Unconscious, barely breathing." After calling it in she joined her partners in slowly freeing the soldier from the rubble and get him ready for transfer to Huerta.


End file.
